Spotting board



Jan. 143i, 1948. D. Q. GOODWIN 2,434,404 y y SPTTING BOARD Y Filed Aug. 14, 1944 i /01' f gi? *1' 'L n l v p 7 f 1 l I l n l 1 l I l l JNVENToR. .UO/7 0. 600dpi/7 Patented Jan. 13, 1948 UNITED VSTATES PAIENT OFFICE 2,434,404 l A sPoTTmG BoAaD Don 0. Goodwin, Sti-Itiou-is; livio;- Application August 14, 1944, Serial No; 4'Claims. (CLASS-24(1) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in spotting apparatus of the type used for removing spots and stains from clothing.

Conventional spotting apparatus usually comprises a housing or cabinet upon which is mounted a spotting head. The head is essentially ovate or egg-shaped in plan so that it can properly t various parts of the garments and its top is usually a perforate Monel metal sheet.

In practice, the garment to be cleaned is placed on the spotting head with the spot or stain positioned approximately centrally of the metal top. To remove the spot steam is applied downwardly on the garment. If necessary, suitable soaps or cleaning fluids may also be used. Thesteam passes downwardly through the perforate top and into the head from which it is discharged through a suitable exhaust pipe.

The perforate metal top is unsatisfactory in several respects. TheA `steam particles creep along the polished metal surface underneath vthe garment causing the spot to spread. Moreover, impingement of the steam particlesY against vthe top causes light, glossy cloth such as silk or rayon to slide sideways thus making it diicult to clean. l 1

In prior art spotting apparatus steam VVcon-- denses in the steam supply line when the equipment is idle. Consequently, when -the steam gun is rst opened, avstream of waterds discharged. This water must be disposedof before the cleaning operation begins. After the water is eliminated the steam is frequently too dry since steam must have a requisite humidity before it becomes effective as a cleaning agent. vTo supply this moisture the operator must operate a valve which admits water into the steam sup` ply line. Both the valve for opening the steam gun and the valve for admitting water intoth e steam supply line are conventionally foot-oper` ated. This requires that the operator stand on one foot placing him under considerable physical strain and creating a general health hazard; Furthermore, it is difcult to admit the exact amount of water that gives a properly humidified steam. A Y 1 Y F An important object of my invention is tov provide a spotting apparatus in which the garment is held snugly against the spotting head at all times during the cleaning operation.` o

Another object of my invention is to provide-a spotting head in which the steam will not spread underneath the cloth to diffuse the spot or stain into cleanportions off thegarment.

vide-a spotting apparatus-in which properly hu midied steam is automatically,maintained at all times. r j

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a spotting apparatus in which any condensate formed in the steam supply line is drained from the system so that steam is obtained immediately when the steam gun or nozzle is opened. y

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following Ydescription.- l

In the drawing forming a part of this specilication and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a spotting apparatus embodying my invention, parts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate the internal construction,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the spotting head,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on theline 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vlewtaken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the apparatus showing a modified means for operating the steam gun.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred embodiments of my invention, the numeral l0 designates a cabinet which houses or supports the various parts and adjuncts of the apparatus. The cabinet is formed with a at top lila, end walls lb and mc, front wall Illd, rear wall Ille, and bottom lf. The rear wall extends substantially above the top llla and its upper portion is fashioned with a hood or canopy lg. The top of the canopy is at and provided with a guard rail Ih. The top of canopy Illy is preferably about shoulder high so that a lighting fixture Illi mounted on its under side throws light upon the top Illa but is shielded from the operator. Cleaning fluids and soaps may be conveniently kept on top of the canopy.

Mounted on the cabinet top Illa is a spotting head fl l The spotting head comprises an essentially funnel-shaped support lla and a brush Hb. The brush includes a perforate base member Hc and upstandingbristle tufts Ild. The tufts are arranged close together to provide a continuoushorizontal surface of bristle ends. Interspersed between the tufts are perforations 3 IIe. The brush IIb is supported on brackets IIf and is removably held in place by frictional engagement with the support. It is thus easily removed for cleaning or replacement.

The head II is generally ovate or egg-shaped in plan so as to readily t all parts of the garments. The garment is placed on the spotting head with the stain or spot to be removed located centrally of the bristles IId. The cloth lies atly on the tufts and is held securely in place by the bristle ends. I prefer that the brush surface be slightly below the edge of support I Ia so that the cloth can be released from the bristles by pulling it taut. After passing through the cloth the steam enters support IIa through perforations I Ie in the back of the brush and is dis'- charged from the system. The substances staining the cloth as well as the cleaning agents tend to o-w down the bristles and onto the base IIC. There is no tendency for these contaminantsor cleaning agents to spread beneath the cloth. When the brush becomes dirty it can be easily removed and cleaned.

A suction is maintained within the spotting head in order to make certain that the garment is held flatly against the bristles and to assure direct passage of the steam, cleaning agents and contaminants through the cloth and brush. Suction is created by pump I3 driven by motorY I4, the suction side of the pump being connected to the spotting head by a conduit I5. As best shown in Fig. 4, the conduit is formed with aradial flange I5a which is rmly secured to the under side of the cabinet top by bolts I5b. The upper end of the conduit extends through the cabinet top and screws into the open lower end of* the support IIa. The air, steam, cleaning agents and contaminants which pass ,into the spotting` head are drawn downwardly through conduit I5 and pump I3 and discharged to a suitable disposal system through exhaust pipe I6.

Steam is supplied to the steam gun or nozzle I2 through a pipe II, steam separator I3, pipes I9 and 20, heat exchanger 2|, pipe 22, solenoid valve 23, pipe 24, T-ttingV25,an`dl hose 25. Moisture carried into the system condenses in separator I3. Heat exchanger 2I is positioned in the suction conduit I 5. It preferably comprises an elongated tubular member formed with a plurality of radial fins 2Ia which facilitate transferV of heat from the steam to the air in the conduit. As it flows through the heat exchanger the steam is cooled and humidied. Since a constant suction is maintained in the spotting head the steam is uniformly humidified at all times. Any excess moisture entering the system with the steam is condensed in separator I 8. Very little condensate will form in heat exchanger 2I since the heat exchanger is relatively small and the steam remains therein only a short time. However, suilcient heat exchange will take place to assure a moist steam in the `gun I2. i

Electric current is supplied to thesolenoid valve 23 through conductors 2'I and 28. The valve is opened and closed by manipulation of a hand lever 29 carried by the steam gun I2 and electrically connected with the valve by cable 3e.

By providing a solenoid valve in the steam supply line I am able to control the now of steam from gun I2 by ,a manually operated lever carried by the gun. I'his arrangement relieves the operator from considerable physical lstrain and facilitates the entirecleaningV operation. Y

In order to prevent ysteam from condensing in the apparatus when the equipment is idle 1 have connected a trap 3I to pipe I9 by means of pipe 32. Any condensate forming in separator I8 immediately drains by gravity into the trap. Condensate is discharged periodically from trap 3| through pipe 33, T-tting 34 and pipe 35. The T-ltting 25 is connected to the condensate discharge pipe by pipe 36. Any condensate forming between the heat exchanger 2I and tting 25 drains by gravity into the discharge line 35.

The nipple 31 forming a part of pipe 36 is formed with a relatively small orifice 38. This orii'lce must be suiciently small to resist flow of steam through pipe 36 when valve 23 is open but large enough to permit water to drain slowly from the system when it accumulates in pipe 36 above the nipple. The orice 38 prevents steam from blowing out through pipe 35 instead of the steam gun when the valve 23 is opened.

If a plurality of spotting boards or other apparatus are connected in the discharge line 35, it is necessary to insert check valve 39 in pipe 36, as shown in Fig. 5. The check valve seats upwardly so that a sudden increase in pressure in the discharge line will not force water or other liquids back through the steam supply lines.

If it is not convenient to provide an electrically operated valve in the steam supply line the solenoid valve 23 may be replaced by a mechanically operated valve 40, Vas best shown in Fig. 6. Valve 4EI is then operated by a pivoted foot pedal 4I through connecting links 42 and 43.

Y It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or thc scope of the appended claims. y

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A spotting board comprising a support, a brush having rigid back portion mounted on the support and bristles fastened to and upstanding from the upper face of the back portion, said bristles uniformly distributed over the areaJ supporting the fabric Aduring the spotting operation, and a rigid collar surrounding the bristles with its upper edge disposed in a plane spaced above the free ends of the bristles.

2. A spotting board comprising a tubular support having an upper open end, a brush mounted in the open end of the support with the bristles extending upwardly and their ends disposed in a plane below the level of the upper edge of the support.

3. In a garment spotting apparatus wherein the fabric to be treated is placed over the large end of a funnel andsteam is drawn therethrough by suction means associated with the small end of the funel, the improvement which comprises a foraminous member extending across the large end of the funnel so it is parallel to but below the plane of the rim, and upstanding bristles on the foramino'us member, said bristles being distributed over the whole area of the large end of the funnel and being of such length that their tips lie in a plane parallel to but below the plane of the rim, Y

4. In a garment spotting apparatus wherein the fabric to be treated 'is placed over the large end of a funnel and steam'is drawn therethrough by suction meansassociated with the small end of the Y funnel, the improvement which comprises an inwardly extending ledge on the funnel situated downwardly from the large endthereof, a removable forami'no'us member positioned with- 5 in the large end of the funnel so it rests on the ledge, and upstanding bristles on the foraminous member, said bristles being distributed over the Whole area of the large end of the funnel so their ends support the fabric throughout that area and being of such length that their tips lie in a plane parallel to but below the plane of the rim of the funnel.

DON O. GOODWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Adams May 3, 1904 Goodwin Apr. 14, 1942 MacLelland Sept. 2, 1941 Dahlberg Sept. 15, 1942 Betyke Dec. 17, 1929 Popkin Mar, 31, 1925 Bass Mar. 4, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France 1910 

